If you are planning on attending the 2012 NEA ESP Conference next week, we can't wait to see you. NEA HIN is pleased to once again be joining Education Support Professionals from around the country. We are looking forward to seeing many friends from past conferences and meeting new ones. As in the past, we will be in the exhibit area with resources and materials to help ESPs create safe, healthy, great public schools for all.

NEA HIN staff will also be presenting two workshops as part of the Skill-Based Learning Professional Development Track. On Saturday afternoon at 2:45 pm Lisa Creighton will be presenting Healthy Kids Learn Better: Why and How to Improve School Food. Making sure that kids have access to healthy, wholesome foods at school can impact both health and behavior. This highly interactive session will focus on the importance of nutrition for child health, programs to improve access to school meals (such as breakfast in the classroom) and the quality of school food (such as farm-to-school). The session will also cover some of the things being done at the local, state, and federal level to improve school food. The session will focus on the ways that ESPs can help students, while building strong community partnerships.

On Sunday morning at 8:15 am, NEA HIN Executive Director Jerry Newberry will present, School Security Officers:Making a Difference for At-Risk Students. Participants in this session will address the critical role of the school security officer in support of at-risk students. Through discussion and activities, participants will address the needs of at-risk students and discuss the unique challenges of the students they work with. The session will focus on building bridges with families and community resources to support student success.

We hope to see you at the conference and copies of the presentations will be available on our website after the conference.